Draft regulator



March 28, 1939. J. 1.. BREESE DRAFT REGULATOR Filed Feb. 19, 1937Patented Mar.

urn-112p STATES? 2,152,301 nnsr'r aneum'ron James L. Brcese, Santa Fe,N. Mex assignor to Oil Devices. Santa. Fe, N. Mex, alimited nersliip ofIllinois Application February 19,

pa t- 1987, Serial No. 126.512

2 Claims. (CL 236-45) 7 My invention relates to an improvement inself-regulating valves or draft controls applicable, for example, to usewith oil vburners.

One purpose is the provision of a draft control or self-regulatingvalve, the action of which is entirely automatic without the necessityof any manual manipulation in normal circumstances.

Another purpose is the provision of such a control which operatesindependently of the admis-.

1o sion of any outside air into the draft lineor flue. Another purposeis the provision of means for preventing any substantial air leakageinto the flue during the operation of the control.

Other purposes will appear from time to time inthe course of thespecification and claims.

I 4 I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical-section;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig-' ure 1; I

Figure 3 is a vertical section in a variant form:

and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 'of Figure 8. Like parts areindicated by like symbols 925 throughout the specification and drawing.

Referring to the drawing, i represents a flue pipe which may extend fromany suitable burner, stove, or the like, and is herein shown asgenerally cylindrical. 2 is a similar member which my ex.

tend to any suitable outlet, chimney, or the like.

Between the two, I illustrate a box of rectangular cross section whichis generally indicated as t, and includes the walls 4, 5, 6 and I, whichmay be connected to the members I and 2 and by the inclined portions 8and 9. Positioned within the housing 3 I illustrate a valve member whichincludes a plane sheet of metal or the like it, herein shown as curledat one edge as at It about the pin i2, one end of which II passesthrough an 40 aperture in the wall, 6, 'the opposite end ll of whichpasses through an aperture in the opposite wall 4. The member M has anangular lever extension i5 shown as screw-threaded and provided with themanually adjustable weight it. It will be understood that the weight]!normally holds the portion iii in the full line position of Figure 1against the inside of the wall I. If desired, a

stop ll may be employed to limit the movement of the member iii in thedirection of the wall I.

The wall I is shown as cutaway to provide an aperture is, but the wallmay be closed and provided with louvres or apertures to correspond withthe form shown in Figure 3, the important factorbeing that one face ofthe member ID should be subjected to the effect of atmospheric Figures 1and 2, while still not flowing in any air pressure, while the other faceshould be subjected to pressures existlngwithin the flue and the member3. Any suitable means for preventing any. substantial air leakage may beemployed.

I illustrate, for example side flanges i8 alongthe opposite edges of themember i0 and an arcuate top flange 20, which may, if desired, have aterminal stop flange II to limit movement of the valve or member-l0 intothe housing 3.

Referring to the form of Figure 3, the wall 1, instead ofbeingcutaway'to form the aperture I8, is provided with louvres 25 or anysuitable air aperture or apertures might be substituted therefor. Themember Ilia. of Figure 3 is shown as terminating in an upper edge 28from which-the arcuate flange 20 is omitted. In place of it, I mayemploy a secondhing'ed member or flap I1 pivoted. as at 28 to the walls8 and 6. The members Ilia and 21 are so proportioned that the lower edgeor free edge of theflap 2 1 always abuts against the face of the flapilia. and serves as an air seal for preventing any substantial airleakage of atmospheric air into the housing 3 and. thus into the flue.--

It will be realized that whereas I have described 25 and shown a.vpractical and operative device, nevertheless many changes in size,shape. number and disposition of parts may be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawing tb be takenas in a broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic rather than aslimiting me to the specific forms herein shown.

'Ihe use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The bers it and. its which serve as limiting valves are entirely closedwithin the flue space orhousing 3. They respond to changes in pressureand atmospheric air, either through the aperture 118 or thelouvreapertures 25, penetrating to thespace deflned by the outer face ofmembers it and lta. However, the atmospheric air pressure is thereforeable to voverbalance theinfluence of the weights I and move the memhersI! or IM into the dotted line position oi substantial volume into thestream of gases flowing through the flue. In eflect, the member It orIlla constitutes a tight gate which closes an open side or window inthe. rectangular box, withthe weight 8 tending normally to move the gate0 into the full-line position of Figure 1 0:8, thus keeping the passagethrough the box ,or housing 3 fully open. "In'use, the member II or ilamoves in r only to low pressure below the vvalve, not to auction abovethe valve. Assuming 55 2 thatthe pressure dropsbelow thevalveorgato I0,I00, then the atmospheric air thrusts the valve in and lifts the weight8 against gravity. To

, give a tangible example, assume that a draft .05

inch opens the valve half way. If the valve stays in that position, thedraft below'the valvewould then be .05 inch. If, however, the draft inthe chimney above the valve II or Illa is increased to .08 inch,- thenthe draft below the valve, be fore it starts to move, will become .08inch, which in turn will change the position of the valve to such anextent that the draft below the valve would become .05 inch. In otherwords, an increase in draft above the valve aiiects thepressure in thepassage below the valveand pulls the valve into further closing positionwith negligible leakage ct air from the room into the flue. Broadly,what is involved is a pressure reducing valve with atmospheric pressureforming the.

function of loading the valve.

I claim: 1. In a control damper; for flues, a flue passage memberincluding a portion of generallyrectangular cross section, a pressureresponsive valve member pivoted in said rectangular portion insubstantially air tight relation with the walls thereof, a pivot memberfor said valve extending through two opposite walls of said rectangularportion adjacent a third wall, said third wall having an openingtherein. and weight means associated with the pivot member and adaptednormally to hold said valve member withdrawn aisasoi the outer face ofsaid valve member. .2. In a control damper for flues, a generallyvertical passage member having a plurality of opposed parallel planewalls, a plurality of pressure responsive valve members mounted in saidpassage members for rotation about generally parallel horizontal axes,said axes'being mounted in. said parallel walls adjacent a third wall ofsaid passage member, said third wall having an opening therein, wherebythe exteriors of said valve members are exposed to the atmosphere, saidvalve members being at all times in constant substantially air tightrelation with each other and with said parallel walls, the interiorfaces 01 said valve members being at all times subjected only topressure existent within said passage member, the upper of said valvemembers having a lower edge abutting at all times against the outer faceof the lower valve memher in response to atmospheric pressurethereagainst. 1

JAMES L. BREESE.

